Veteran Inspired Art by Dwight Rose

The Battle of Hamburger Hill was fought from May 10–20, 1969 within
the Vietnam War. The involvement of United States armed forces to aid
South Vietnam against North Vietnamese forces was highly controversial
and divided Americans, especially the youth and the establishment. Our
heroic troops, mostly infantry in hand to hand combat, had little public
support at home during and after this war. Many brave men lost their lives
or were injured physically and psychologically.
This watercolor painting portrays these men in a battle of opposing
forces, yet more importantly, in support of each other. Their training results
in coordination regardless of the horrific arena, a critical part of a unit’s
strength and ultimate success to their mission. The grit, fear, and pain are
all part of the tactical maneuvers on the battle field. Above all the pride and
respect that we hold for our veterans will never fade because we recognize
their sacrifice. This painting is a tribute to these men and helps to remind
all of what they do for us.
The process used in creating this painting involves the use of wet in
wet watercolor washes, which usually sets the style for his work. Wet in
wet includes a continuous layering of pigment creating translucent glazes
of paint often applied in parts intuitively. Textures are created using a
variety of techniques and tools. The paintings weight and substance
supported by creating depth through contrast. Working towards a style that
combines traditional painting techniques along with inherent personal
characteristics is the impetus behind Rose’s current body of work.
Dwight Rose has a Bachelor’s Degree of Fine Art in painting from the
Ringling College of Art and Design in Sarasota, Florida. He taught at
Ringling in its degree and community art programs, and then taught at
Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar. He teaches watercolor
painting at the Chapman Cultural Center in Spartanburg, and the
Greenville Center for the Creative Arts in Greenville. A signature member
of the South Carolina Water Media Society, he has received many awards
in exhibitions throughout the region.